巴斯克威尔的猎犬 梅利琵宅邸的主人斯台普吞（2）

 

　　"There are only two women in the house, Sir Henry," he answered. "One is the scullery-maid,who sleeps in the other wing. The other is my wife, and I can answer for it that the sound couldnot have come from her."

　　“亨利爵爷， 在这房子里只有两个女人， ” 他回答道，“一个是女仆， 她睡在对面厢房里；另一个就是我的妻子， 可是我敢保证， 哭声决不是由她发出来的。”

　　And yet he lied as he said it, for it chanced that after breakfast I met Mrs. Barrymore in thelong corridor with the sun full upon her face. She was a large, impassive, heavy-featured womanwith a stern¹ set expression of mouth. But her telltale eyes were red and glanced at me frombetween swollen² lids. It was she, then, who wept in the night, and if she did so her husband mustknow it. Yet he had taken the obvious risk of discovery in declaring that it was not so. Why had hedone this? And why did she weep so bitterly? Already round this pale-faced, handsome,black-bearded man there was gathering³ an atmosphere of mystery and of gloom. It was he whohad been the first to discover the body of Sir Charles, and we had only his word for all thecircumstances which led up to the old man's death. Was it possible that it was Barrymore, after all,whom we had seen in the cab in Regent Street? The beard might well have been the same. Thecabman had described a somewhat shorter man, but such an impression might easily have beenerroneous. How could I settle the point forever? Obviously the first thing to do was to see theGrimpen postmaster and find whether the test telegram had really been placed in Barrymore's ownhands. Be the answer what it might, I should at least have something to report to Sherlock Holmes.

　　可是后来证明他竟是撒谎， 因为在早饭之后， 我碰巧在长廊上遇到了白瑞摩太太， 阳光正照着她的脸， 她是个体格高大、 外表冷淡、 身体胖胖的女人， 嘴角上带着严肃的表情。 可是她的两眼无可掩饰地都红着， 还用红肿着的眼睛望了我一下。 这么说， 夜间哭的就是她了。

　　如果她确是哭过， 她丈夫就一定知其原委， 可是他居然冒着显然会被人发现的危险否认事实。

　　他为什么要这样做呢？ 还有， 她为什么哭得那样伤心呢？ 在这面孔白皙、 漂亮、 蓄着黑胡须的人的周围， 已经形成了 神秘而凄惨的气氛。 是他第一个发现了查尔兹爵士的尸体， 而且我们也只由他那里才得到了关于将那老人引向死亡的有关情况的介绍。可能吗？ 难道我们在摄政街所看到的那辆马车里的那个人就是白瑞摩吗？ 胡须很可能是相同的。马车夫形容的是个身材相当矮小的人， 可是这样的印象很可能是错误的。 我怎样才能弄清这一点呢？ 显然， 首先该做的就是去找格林盆的邮政局长， 弄清那件试探性的电报是否真的当面交给了白瑞摩。

　　无论答案如何， 我至少应该有些能向歇洛克· 福尔摩斯报告的事。

 

1 stern   

adj.严厉的，严格的，严峻的；n.船尾

参考例句：

• The ship was in a blaze from stem to stern.整艘船从头到尾都着火了。
• The headmaster ruled the school with a stern discipline.校长治校严谨。

2 swollen   

adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀

参考例句：

• Her legs had got swollen from standing up all day.因为整天站着，她的双腿已经肿了。
• A mosquito had bitten her and her arm had swollen up.蚊子叮了她，她的手臂肿起来了。

3 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。